Congratulations! You’ve put together most of the cast and crew for your next project. Director? Check. Heads of departments? Got ‘em. But your lead actor is the highly-coveted [insert your favorite actor here], and they’re not too sure they want in. Yet. What safety net can you offer, say, Jeff Goldblum, in exchange for—you hope—his… Continue reading Pay or Play Contract — How Does It Affect Your Production?
BasicsOpen menu What is a Green Screen? Blue Screen vs Green Screen DIY Green ScreenOpen menu How to Make a Green Screen Green Screen Color Using a Green ScreenOpen menu How to Use a Green Screen Green Screen Lighting EditingOpen menu Best Green Screen Software Best Green Screen Background Videos How to Use a Green… Continue reading How to Use a Green Screen — Setup, Lighting and Creative Uses
Casting TipsOpen menu Ultimate Guide to Auditions Guide to Holding Auditions Best Casting Tips Indie Film Casting Casting Background Talent When Actors Exaggerate Their Resumes Working With Child Actors Working With Celebrity Talent Casting ResourcesOpen menu What is a Casting Director How to Become a Casting Director Best Casting Agencies NYC Edition Best Talent Agencies… Continue reading Best Casting Agencies NYC Edition — An Actor’s Guide
What would you consider the most versatile tool on a set? Most filmmakers and grips would probably come to the same conclusion — the C-Stand, otherwise known as the workhorse of a film production. They are the humble heroes that can impact both the quality of a shot as well as the safety of a… Continue reading How to Use a C-Stand — Parts, Functions & Proper Usage Tips
Directorial DepartmentOpen menu What Does an Assistant Director Do What Does a 2nd Assistant Director Do What is a Casting Director What is a Second Unit Director What Does a Director Do Ultimate Guide to Film Crew Positions Unlike painting or writing, which are often done in isolation, making a film requires a team effort.… Continue reading What Does an Assistant Director Do? Defining the 1st AD
Film is a uniquely visual storytelling medium. Everything you see within the frames of a shot is carefully thought out by someone behind the scenes. More often than not, these details in the frame come from the art department. An art department is responsible for the larger creation of a film set as well as… Continue reading The Art Department in Film — Guide to Positions, Duties, Salary
Production DepartmentOpen menu Producer vs Director What Does an Executive Producer Do What Does a Producer Do What Does a Co-Producer Do What Does a TV Producer Do What is An Associate Producer What is a Line Producer What is Production Assistant What is an Entertainment Lawyer What Is a Production Coordinator Ultimate Guide to… Continue reading What Is a Production Coordinator? Salary & Job Description
BasicsOpen menu What is a Green Screen? Blue Screen vs Green Screen DIY Green ScreenOpen menu How to Make a Green Screen Green Screen Color Using a Green ScreenOpen menu How to Use a Green Screen Green Screen Lighting EditingOpen menu Best Green Screen Software Best Green Screen Background Videos How to Use a Green… Continue reading Green Screen Color — Ideal Shades for Paint, Fabric and Screens
BasicsOpen menu What is Post-Production What is VFX What are Special Effects What is Virtual Production What is SFX Makeup What is CGI What is Mocap What is Compositing What is Matte Painting What is Chroma Key What is a Green Screen What is a Blue Screen What is Practical Effects What is Motion Graphics… Continue reading What is Chroma Key Technology — The VFX Process Explained
Animation BasicsOpen menu What is Animation Types of Animation What is Pre-Production in Animation What Does an Animator Do What is Cel Animation What is Pixilation Animation What is Tweening in Animation What is Anime What is Claymation What are Keyframe What is Persistence of Vision What is Stop Motion Animation What is Rotoscope Animation… Continue reading Best Animation Software — 2D, 3D, Paid, and Free Options
EssentialsOpen menu What is Sound Design What Does a Sound Designer Do Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing What is Voice Over What is a Foley Artist What is Diegetic Sound What is Non-Diegetic Sound What is a Film Score What is Asynchronous Sound What is Music Licensing What is a Film Composer What is a… Continue reading 10 Best DSLR Microphones — Shotgun, Lav, and More
Create a call sheet with the click of a button. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it’s not too far off. Now, there isn’t a button that will do all of your pre production work for you, but there is a button that will populate 90% of your call sheet, given you’ve done… Continue reading Setting up a Call Sheet for Success in StudioBinder
You think you know what gaffer tape is, but do you really? In this post we’re going to explain everything you should know about gaffer tape: what is gaffer tape, how does it work, and why is it so bloody expensive. You’ll learn how to tear it off the roll, how to make cables safe for… Continue reading What Is Gaffer Tape Used For? A Film Set Essential Explained
Color BasicsOpen menu What is a Color Palette Color Grading vs. Color Correction What is Color Space What is Color Temperature What is a Vectorscope What is LUT What is a Colorist What is a Color Checker What is Technicolor First Color Movie Film Colorization Process Color SchemesOpen menu What is a Color Scheme Triadic… Continue reading What is a Colorist in Film? Duties, Salary & How to Become One
Editorial DepartmentOpen menu Digital Imaging Technician Film Editor Colorist Ultimate Guide to Film Crew Positions The role of the DIT is one of the more mysterious roles on a film set. This is primarily due to the fact that there are numerous duties that fall onto a DIT. In today’s digital world, technology is advancing… Continue reading What is a DIT in Film — Definition, Job Description, and Salary
BasicsOpen menu What Does a Cinematographer Do What is Cinematography What is Digital Cinematography Cinematography Terms What is Motion Blur Lighting EssentialsOpen menu Basics of Film Lighting: 4 Qualities of Light What is Practical Lighting 3-Point Lighting What is Key Light What is Fill Light What is Backlight What is Low Key Lighting What is… Continue reading What is a Leko Light and How to Use It — Lighting Techniques
Starting a production company can be incredibly daunting. There are so many business aspects that appear mundane and confusing to the typical creative starting a production company. But the truth is that laying down a proper foundation is essential for any new production company to grow and prosper. In this article, we outline twelve steps… Continue reading How to Start a Production Company: A Complete 12-Step Guide
Animation BasicsOpen menu What is Animation Types of Animation What is Pre-Production in Animation What Does an Animator Do What is Cel Animation What is Pixilation Animation What is Tweening in Animation What is Anime What is Claymation What are Keyframe What is Persistence of Vision What is Stop Motion Animation What is Rotoscope Animation… Continue reading What is Claymation — A History of Claymation Movies
Have you heard the term “principal photography” or “principal shooting” bandied about without knowing exactly what it means? Breaking into the behind the scenes world of filmmaking requires learning an entire set of specialized terminology. In this post, we’ll answer the questions: what is principal photography? How long does it take to shoot a movie?… Continue reading What is Principal Photography in the Stages of Film Production?
Camera & Lighting DepartmentOpen menu Best Boy Camera Operator Director Of Photography Focus Puller Key Grip Gaffer Dolly Grip Grip Sound DepartmentOpen menu Boom Operator Ultimate Guide to Film Crew Positions The short answer to the question, “What is a Grip?” is that a Grip on a film crew is someone who moves lighting equipment… Continue reading What is a Grip on a Movie Set? Job Description and Duties
